The Trick Behind The Legend Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds’ Top-Down View

Think about it for just a second, and you’ll realize that there is something wrong with the top down view featured in A Link to the Past and A Link Between Worlds. The camera is clearly looking straight down at the world, but instead of looking at the top of Link’s head, we can see his face.

A recent Iwata Asks interview reveals the mystery behind the camera trick. See for yourself:

Link and other objects, like the red rupees in the upper part of the screen, are titled back so they are recognizable. This keeps Link looking like Link and not an amorphous green blob.

You can read more about The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds in our review. It’s out this Friday, November 22, on 3DS.

Our TakeThis is a very clever presentation trick, and one of the many little decisions that goes into the visual design of a title. I’m looking forward to seeing how this sequel fares, as Link to the Past is one of my favorite games of all time.